animal trade
Monks at a pagoda in Phnom Penh hold a dog as it receives the rabies vaccine during a vaccination drive conducted by Animal Rescue Cambodia staff. (Andy Ball/VOD)

Can Cambodia Eradicate the World’s Most Fatal Disease?

Each year, hundreds of people in Cambodia are estimated to die of rabies, which is treatable but fatal once symptoms present. Animal welfare and health experts say vaccinating the nation’s dogs and controlling the dog meat trade could help prevent deaths.

Rice field rats caught in Koh Andet district are sold to brokers for 4,000 to 5,000 riel ($1 to $1.25) a kilogram. (Ananth Baliga/VOD)

In Takeo, Migrant Families Turn to Rat Trade Amid Covid-19 Pandemic

During the rainy season, rising waters in the rice fields surrounding Takeo’s Koh Andet district provide an ample supply of rodents. As the global economic downturn leaves many jobless, some are turning to catching and exporting rats to make ends meet.